A young dad who slapped his girlfriend was given a conditional discharge after a court heard the incident had strengthened their relationship.

Tilehurst man Paul Saban, 22, admitted hitting Giovanna Samuels during a drunken row over who was picking up their son after a night out in the early hours of Sunday, May 1.

But Reading magistrates opted only to give him a conditional discharge after hearing evidence he and his partner had patched up their relationship following the incident, when he appeared before them last Wednesday.

Saban, who admitted assault by beating, and Miss Samuels had been drinking in Reading town centre on the night of Saturday, April 30, and Saban’s sister had been looking after their baby at her home in Tilehurst.

Jo Belsey, prosecuting, said Saban left the nightclub they were in to collect the baby, but Miss Samuels was concerned because he was very drunk and left a few minutes after him. Miss Belsey said: “Miss Samuels got to the address and the defendant answered the door. He was very angry and said to her, ‘What the f*** are you doing here?’

“He immediately pushed her with both hands. She hadn’t said anything. It seems at that point the defendant stepped forward, pulled back his left arm and slapped her on the cheek.”

Miss Samuels was hurt by the slap, but not injured.

Miss Belsey said Saban’s sister came out of the house after the slap and stood between the pair before helping Miss Samuels into the house. John Dexter, defending, said the pair had since patched up their differences and, in fact, the incident had helped make their relationship stronger. He said: “[Saban] can’t remember the incident, but he believes what his girlfriend has said.

“He feels what he did was wrong and just wants to admit his culpability as soon as he can so this couple can get on with their lives.

“He has been highly stressed at work and finds it difficult to wind down. On this occasion he sought to wind down by drinking a lot of vodka. He came home in a bad mood, drank vodka and that made him worse.

“It’s been a bit of a wake-up call. He now accepts he drank too much and that he has to do a bit more to help bring up the child and that, in the past, there has been a lack of communication between the two of them.”

Mr Dexter said the chances of Saban, of Meadway Precinct, ending up in court again were “remote”.